I have no idea whether or not Breakaway Books is a good publisher or not. What I do know is that they're holding a "contest" that I find unethical.
From the bottom of breakawaybooks.com:
From the bottom of breakawaybooks.com:
-- RUNNING AND SEX --
Personal essay, 750 to 2000 words.
First prize $1000, second prize $500, third prize $250.
The top 40 essays will be published in a book.
Running is a great sensual act, honing body, mind, and soul -- so how does it affect your love life? The nearly divine feelings of a good run are not so different from the mind-altering bliss of sex. Any stories of romance, eroticism, or sexuality (combined with some good running) are welcome. R-rated is fine, maybe even NC-17, but please no XXX.
Our prior writing contests have resulted in these excellent books:
How Running Changed My Life, Bicycle Love, and The Runner's High.
Deadline February 14, 2007 (but submit earlier if you can so they don't all arrive at once). Entry fee is $5. To submit an entry, mail it to...
Basically, you're paying for them to consider your work for an anthology.
That's a reading fee.
And if they choose your work for the anthology, the odds are very high that you will not get paid anything for it-- instead, YOU WILL HAVE PAID to be in the anthology. Only the "top 3" will get paid. The other 37 people chosen for the anthology are not compensated, but instead have spent $5.00 plus postage and used up the first rights to their piece as well as the time spent writing an essay on this specialized topic.
You should never have to pay to have your work considered for an anthology. Calling it a "contest" doesn't change that.
That's a reading fee.
And if they choose your work for the anthology, the odds are very high that you will not get paid anything for it-- instead, YOU WILL HAVE PAID to be in the anthology. Only the "top 3" will get paid. The other 37 people chosen for the anthology are not compensated, but instead have spent $5.00 plus postage and used up the first rights to their piece as well as the time spent writing an essay on this specialized topic.
You should never have to pay to have your work considered for an anthology. Calling it a "contest" doesn't change that.